How Omega 3 Helps in Weightloss

167px-Fish-oil_omega_3Many of us may not be aware about the benefits of Omega 3 in our weight loss efforts. We’re all aware of the importance of eating a healthy diet in curbing and burning excess fats. How many times did you plan to start a diet? Everyone is talking about diet, and then you start picking up low fat or nonfat food in the grocery. But there are certain types of fat that are beneficial to weight loss and this includes Omega 3.

The Science behind Omega 3

Studies have shown that taking fish oil and doing regular exercises can help in weight loss. A study conducted by the University of South Australia on 75 overweight and obese people with some suffering from cardiovascular disease was split into four groups.

The half was given doses of tuna oil and another was given sunflower oil with the same amount without omega 3. Then, they were again split into four groups. The half group was not doing any exercise while the other groups did 45 minute runs with a 75% maximum heart rate every week. This entire group did not change their diet.

Three weeks later, little change was shown by three of the groups, while those given fish oil who did exercises showed a decrease in body fat percentage at an average of 2kg weight loss. What is impressive with this study is that there is no change in their eating habits.

How Omega 3 Helps

Omega 3 fish oil improves the flow of blood to the muscles and it helps stimulate enzymes during exercise. It also transports fat to where it can be used up for energy.

The Omega 3 fish oil diet has a lot of health advantages. We all know that Omega 3 helps improves our brain and heart, arthritis and skin disorder. It also keeps our eyes from getting dry. It prevents allergies, strokes and diabetes. An Omega 3 rich diet helps in weight loss as it involves fewer calories. Omega 3 rich foods makes you fell full and you will not crave to eat.

We can’t produce Omega 3 fatty acids. We can only get this by nutritional intake. Fish oil is its main and most absorbable source. Cereals, eggs, poultry and margarine contains omega 6 which is the other main essential fatty acid.

There are foods that contain Omega 3 fatty acids like pasture-raised meats, Omega 3 enriched dairy foods, Omega 3 enriched eggs, edamame, wild rice, walnuts, canola oil, flax, beans and sustainable seafood.

Aside from this major benefit of Omega 3, it is been found out that it reduce incidence of breast cancer. The Omega 3 consumption of a mother during pregnancy lowered the daughter’s risk of developing breast cancer.

Taking Omega 3 fish oil on the first trimester of your pregnancy also helps brain development for your baby. But, you should be very careful in choosing what brand of fish oil to take. Fish oil made from sharks is sometimes harmful because of the lead and mercury content that they have. You should choose those fish oil made from anchovies because anchovies don’t live for very long that’s why they don’t get a chance to soak up toxins.

There are tips in choosing the best fish oil supplement. You should ask for a certificate of analysis. This is a certificate that tells the details on what’s in the fish oil and not. You should buy products that are tested by a third party. They test fish oil supplements and published a detailed analysis of the result. Pharmaceutical grade fish oil is highly recommended.

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Healthy Weight Loss Post-Pregnancy

absGaining those extra pounds after pregnancy is perfectly normal. But mothers don’t have to live with those extra pounds forever. Shedding extra curves could be tricky. You have to consider that you still have to take care of your baby and skipping on those fats might not be a good idea.

While exercise and dieting remain to be the healthiest ways to lose those pounds, there are serious health considerations. Your body has just undergone major physical changes and hitting the gym can be risky.

Walking is the safest and healthiest way of exercising after pregnancy. It is an excellent way of getting your heart rate up without placing too much stress on your body. You could do it indoors while watching your baby or outdoors when strolling with your baby in the park. Walking does not take your concentration away from your baby. It is a gentle activity that could be done anywhere with your baby. It is also an activity that could help you build better bonds between mother and baby.

You could immediately start walking as soon as you feel strong enough. This could be as short as a few weeks for those who had normal delivery. Those who had complex deliveries or have undergone Caesarian procedures should consult with their doctor to determine the best time to start exercising.

Any type of physical activity helps you burn calories. But walking does not only help you shed those extra pounds, it also strengthens bones and muscles. Walking restores muscle tone, making your buttocks and legs shapelier. Schedule your walks after breastfeeding or pumping milk. This is to minimize discomfort.

Muscles might be sore or too tender to resume exercising. It is important for mothers to ensure maximum comfort to reduce discomfort. Using good fitting running shoes is a good way of reducing the impact of walking. It is also a good idea to use supportive bras to make your walks more comfortable.

Start with flat surfaces. This is to gradually accustom your body to increased levels of physical activities. You could increase the level of difficulty by choosing paths with inclined gradients. If leaving the home isn’t possible you could use a treadmill.

One of the basic rules of exercising is to always warm up. This ensures that all muscles are ready by directing blood flow to the areas. It helps loosen muscle and joints to prevent injury. Simple warm up exercises and stretches could go a long way in preventing injuries.

The rate of calorie burning depends on the time of activity and level of difficulty. You could make this more efficient by wearing warm clothes to increase internal body temperature. Start slow and swing your arms to increase the level of activity. Begin your walking activities at 5 to 10 minutes, 3 to 5 times a week. This doesn’t seem much but remember that you’ve just gone a major physical change.

Remember to walk at your own pace. There’s no rush to get your slimmer body. Weight gain is your body’s natural reaction to pregnancy. Being a little bit curvy is a sign that your body’s packed with nutrients for your baby. You could always get that swimsuit perfect body once your body is ready.

How to Diet After Post Pregnancy

  • Arrange your plate and make fruits and vegetables your plate’s centerpiece. Fill a quarter of your plate with lean meat for protein. Add a glass of skim milk for added calcium and protein.
  • Try to stay away from salty snacks and sweet beverages that contain empty calories. Replace sodas with fruit juice or water.
  • Be sure to have a glass of water handy or a healthy snack within reach. Food cravings are quite common especially after pregnancy.  Changes in hormonal levels can lead to mood changes and food cravings.
  • To avoid overeating, eat 5 small meals a day or eat healthy snacks between meals.
  • To make fat burning more effective, eat fat burning foods such as salads, vegetables and lean protein.

Exercise and eating a healthy diet are essential whether you are trying to burn those extra fats before or after pregnancy. Just be sure to consult with your doctor to make weight loss safe for you and your baby.

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Gastric Banding and Weight Loss

Liposuction maybe considered the most popular and convenient method of losing weight but there are also other surgical procedures that could treat weight problems. And one of these medical procedures is gastric bands.

Even liposuction has its own limitations. It could not be performed on people who are considered severely obese. This is why medical professionals recommend that people shed pounds to somewhere near their ideal weight to make surgery safer.

The rise of liposuction and alternative weight loss procedures is not surprising. The numbers of people considered severely obese continues to grow much like an epidemic. This in turn has given rise to the popularity of weight loss procedures such as liposuction and bariatric surgery.

There are several options available for people who are under the category of morbid obesity. These are classified as mal-absorptive and restrictive which has its own procedures and variations. However, all of these methods work with the same principles. It works by limiting food consumption or by decreasing the amount of calorie absorbed from the intestines.

 

There are varied weight reduction procedures available today. These include gastric banding, gastric bypass, vertical sleeve gastrectomy and more. The most popular of these weight loss surgical procedures continues to be Adjustable Gastric Banding or Laparoscopic Lap Band Surgery.

Gastric Banding Overview

Gastric banding is a surgical weight loss procedure that aims to reduce your food intake by helping you feel fuller. It works by the simple principle that if we limit the amount of food our body can physically take, weight loss could be achieved.

The surgery is performed by making 3 to 5 small incisions along the abdomen. A small pouch if formed in the upper stomach area which is controlled by an adjustable stoma. This physically limits the stomach’s food capacity. This in turn makes the patient feel fuller and thus limits their food intake.

Benefits of Gastric Banding

 

The US FDA has certified gastric banding as a safe and effective weight loss procedure for people suffering from severe obesity or those that have a BMO of forty or more. Gastric banding offers all the benefits of a proven weight loss reduction procedure. Unlike alternative liposuction and weight loss treatments, its results have been well documented by medical professionals. It requires surgery, but it is minimally invasive and produces great results.

Gastric banding is minimally invasive and does not require cutting or stapling of the stomach. It produces lesser trauma on the stomach making it safer but equally effective. Gastric banding also minimizes the chance of damaging other gastrointestinal organs and tissues because it does not use staples.

The procedure could be done in 30 minutes or as long as an hour. It is done in a hospital setting making it safer compared to surgeries done in small clinics.

Gastric banding produces less tissue trauma and scarring. It is less painful and has little side effects. Gastric banding reduces instances of nausea, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea and weakness seen in other surgeries. Because it is minimally invasive, hospitalization is minimized and patients are able to recover more quickly.

Another unique advantage with using gastric banding for weight loss is that the process is reversible. The gastric band could be removed through a laparoscopic surgery to restore the stomach’s normal volume.

 

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Revisiting Must Know Facts About Liposuction

FDA-Approved: A Definite Necessity!

You have heard from a friend of the great outcome of his liposuction.  Journals, magazines, and newspapers are headlined with success stories from this operation.  Despite this excitement, do you have a clear understanding what liposuction is, and what it does to improve your health?  If you are searching for answer, you are on the right page for gaining some of the facts about liposuction.

Liposuction is defined as a surgical operation performed to remove from your body via suction.  During the operation, small, thin tubes (cannula) are inserted through holes in the skin.  As this blunt-tipped tube enters these tiny cuts, doctors are able to suction fat through the inserted instrument.  Doctors are also able to maneuver this tube to target hard to reach body fat areas.

Liposuction is able to clear out fats from neck, cheeks, breasts, upper arm, abdomen, knees, calves, buttocks, hips, ankle areas, and chin.

This surgical procedure, however, is treated as a serious operation and may involve painful days of recovery.  Due to this, patients are informed of the possible complications of the surgery.

The techniques

As this surgery has reached mainstream, surgeons have developed liposuction techniques that make it less painful, safer, and easier.

  • You have seen doctors perform ultrasound on pregnant women.  Expect the same level of caution with ultrasound-assisted liposuction.  This procedure includes liquefying of fats which make it easier to suction out.  This liposuction is useful in removing especially in upper abdomen, back, and sides.
  • People generally avoid surgery because of the discomfort experienced during the process.  You can now expect body improvement with less pain.  This is achieved by applying local anesthetic to numb the target areas where the tube will be placed.  To add a lasting effect, more anesthetic is introduced into the fatty tissue as lidocaine and epinephrine before the actual liposuction is performed.  This type of liposuction is called tumescent liposuction.  Recent advances allow patient to undergo liposuction without general anesthesia or without sleeping through the procedure.

Liposuction risks

Before an interested patient has to undergo this procedure, doctors carefully ask questions about the medical history of the patient.  Also, physical examination is performed to ensure your safety.  Commonly, doctors look for pre-existing conditions that should be controlled before the procedure.  This includes: diabetes; high blood pressure; history of heart problems; allergies especially to antibiotics used during the surgical preparation; pulmonary problem, the usual signs such include shortness of breath; and substance abuse.

Furthermore, patients may suffer the following consequences during the operation.  This include:  infections, especially strep and staph; fluid overload; shock – usually result from insufficient replacement of fluid during the surgery; bleeding; minute globules of fat the poses risk by blocking blood flow, also known as fat embolism; uneven fat distribution; drug overdose, the usual culprit is lidocaine; and unattractive scars.

What happens before and after the surgery?

After undergoing through strict but necessary screening, doctors will prepare you for the operation.  A helpful tip:  bring over someone (a spouse) during your consultations to help you decide about this life changing procedure.

Doctors will inform you about the pre-operative preparations, the procedure proper, and the after care.  Once you have fully understood these terms, you are now on your way to a fitter version of you.

Expect compression garments and bandages after the surgery.  These are necessary measures to stop any bleeding.  The bandage could possibly be kept for at least two weeks, compression for several weeks.  Your doctor might check on you from time to time to monitor your progress.  You might be instructed to pay a visit back to the hospital depending on your health status.

After all things are said and done, you might enjoy the same health benefits as your friend.  Just make sure to maintain your shape as part of your efforts to stay healthy.

 

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